In a previous blog post I explained what Twitter hashtags are and how they work. Today, I’m going to give you some great examples of hashtags that you can use as inspiration. Feel free to use them for research, or as a jumping-off point to create your own!

I’m going to organize this list by the purpose of the hashtag: event, brand, and so on. Let’s get started:

Brand hashtag

You don’t have to just rely on your Twitter handle to get your brand name out there. Big name companies have their own hashtags, too. #Starbucks, for instance, is a very popular hashtag. The brand is so big that people even use the hashtag in many ways, from contest to idle conversation.

Movements

The world is an imperfect place, and people have causes that need to be heard. Twitter has proven to be an ideal venue for this, as gives a voice to those who might not otherwise have a chance to speak out. They use hashtags to associate their tweets to the cause and promote their message for others to see.

#YesAllWomen is a great example of this. It lets women speak out against the different levels and kinds of abuse they receive.

Events

Want to promote a great event? Or maybe talk to people attending the same event? Most organizers will set up a Twitter hashtag that’ll allow you to do just that. You can normally find it on the event website, or announced through the company’s Twitter account.

One great example of this are TEDx talks. They’re organized by local groups, who normally set up their own hashtags to promote their TED programs.

Industries

Twitter is a fantastic place for people who work in the same industry to share their knowledge. Even supposedly “dry” industries like #ProjectManagement and #Accounting have their own vibrant hashtags. If you work in a particular industry, don’t be afraid to use its hashtag and make yourself known to your peers.

Specific Items

Are you looking for someone to help you with a specific item, like say creating an ebook or a whitepaper? Just put a “#” in front of it and run a search. You’ll be surprised at what you find!

Twitter Hashtag contest

A hashtag contest is basically a contest on Twitter that requires people to use a specific hashtag to enter. You ask them to do something, maybe post a photo or ask a question. Then you pick a winner through either random drawing or who has the best entry.

If you want to discuss ideas for a good hashtag, or know any hashtags you want to share, send me a tweet! I’m on Twitter at @jenkellyjen.

Learn more tips about using Twitter. Sign up for the Nimble Quotes newsletter! And while you’re at it, why not try a 30-day free trial of Nimble Quotes? Yes, you can add your own hashtag to your quotes. It’s a #wonderful service! (But we’re biased.)

Did you know you can search Twitter a similar way as you search on Google? Did you know using hashtags on Twitter when you tweet can help your tweet show up in Twitter searches?

Hashtags are also very powerful tools for connecting and building a network on Twitter.

What Are Hashtags On Twitter?

Hashtags are keywords or phrases that begin with the hashtag symbol (#). Hashtags are used to categorize tweets. On Twitter, when you click on a word or phrase with the hashtag symbol before it, you will be taken to a page with a list of tweets that contain that same hashtagged word or phrase.

If you use a hashtag in one of your tweets, someone who doesn’t know you but is interested in that topic can see your hashtagged tweet. It’s a great way to generate more interest in what you post and more awareness for you and your business.

Hashtags On Twitter Help

Hashtags create a wonderful opportunity to build a network. Twitter allows you to search for millions of different topics, so you can look up hashtags specific to your work and interests. And Twitter shows you all of the tweets pertaining to the hashtag, not just the tweets of those you’re following. This way, you can get into conversations, follow, RT, or favourite tweets from people you don’t even know yet. What a great way to meet and get exposed to more people, companies, charities, conversations and events. Learn more with these 5 ways Twitter hashtags help you engage and get noticed.

Try It Out For Yourself

So take advantage of hashtags on Twitter and get searching. You’ll find interesting topics for discussion and new people to interact with. Here’s how to start.

Type in the hashtag of the topic you’re searching for information about. If you are not sure there is a hashtag for your topic, start typing and you’ll see the hashtags that are currently used for that topic.

In our example, we’ll use #SmallBiz.

Here is a screen shot of the most recent tweets with #SmallBiz. We’ve circled in red the hashtag #smallbiz in each tweet. This is why these tweets were brought up in the search.

Try Out Quotes With Hashtags

Using quotes is a great way to interact with your Twitter audience. With the Nimble Quotes service, you can try 1-8 inspiring quotes per day automatically tweeted from your Twitter account. You’ll also get the option of adding hashtags to your tweeted quotes, making your tweets even more engaging. Try us out today – we offer a 30-day free trial with no credit card required. Once your trial is over, it costs about $1/day or about $1/week to continue. Check out Nimble Quotes in action on @jenkellyjen or @newimarketing. Not ready for a trial just yet? Sign up for the Nimble Quotes newsletter instead.